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Man State War

The document discusses Kenneth Waltz's book "Man, The State, and War" which aims to explain the causes of war. It presents three images or levels of analysis for understanding the roots of war: 1) human nature, 2) the structure of the state, and 3) the international state system. The first image attributes war to inherent flaws in human nature like selfishness and aggression. Prescriptions based on this include education and diversion to change human behavior. However, human nature alone cannot explain both war and peace.

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Group 5 PolSci 3B Thesis
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88 views4 pages

Man State War

The document discusses Kenneth Waltz's book "Man, The State, and War" which aims to explain the causes of war. It presents three images or levels of analysis for understanding the roots of war: 1) human nature, 2) the structure of the state, and 3) the international state system. The first image attributes war to inherent flaws in human nature like selfishness and aggression. Prescriptions based on this include education and diversion to change human behavior. However, human nature alone cannot explain both war and peace.

Uploaded by

Group 5 PolSci 3B Thesis
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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1

“Man, The State, and War” By Kenneth G. Waltz

CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION

“to explain how peace can be achieved, requires an understanding


of the causes of war”

 PEACE: a desired end among several ends simultaneously


entertained

“the root of all evil is man, thus he himself is the root of war”

 MISERIES OF MAN: Product of man himself


 MAN: beings of intermixed reason and passion

“How can we say that man is an actor in propagating war?”

 LACK OF INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM: state leaders are often


forced to act with only little regard for conventional morality

“Man, also propagates peace even in dire circumstances”

 TYRANNY AS ALTERNATIVE: if given a choice between chaos


and tyranny, man choosing tyranny becomes understandable
because tyranny ensures order and avoids war

R.G. Collingwood: “The best way to understand the writings of


philosophers is to seek out the questions they were attempting to
answer”
2

“Where are the major causes of war to be found?”

 3 IMAGES OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: a) Within man,


b) Within the structure of the separate states, c) Within the
state system

“What are prescriptions?”

 Related to goal and analysis


 Much like the term itself, prescriptions can be suggestions of
possible solutions to problems
 One can say that a prescription is wrong if he can show that
following it does not bring about the predicted result
 TWO POSSIBILITIES FOR ACCEPTING OR REJECTING
PRESCRIPTIONS: a) a prescription based on a faulty analysis
would be unlikely to produce desired consequences, b) a
prescription would be unacceptable if it were not legally
related to its analysis

“What is the Criteria of Merit?”

 For estimating the merit of prescriptions


 THE CRITERIA:
a) Can the final proposition be implemented, if so, how?
b) Does the prescription attack the assigned causes?
c) Has the analyst simply seized upon the most spectacular
cause?
d) How will attempts to fill the prescription affect other
goals?
3

CHAPTER 2 & 3. THE FIRST IMAGE & SOME IMPLICATIONS OF THE FIRST IMAGE

“What is the first image of international relations?”

 The cause of war is found in the nature and behavior of man


 NATURE AND BEHAVIOR OF MAN: selfishness, misdirected
aggressive impulses, stupidity
 THEORY: therefore, the elimination of war must come through
uplifting and enlightening men or securing their psychic-social
re-adjustment

“What are some prescriptions to the problem of the first image?”

Presciptions Proponent/s
EDUCATION HENRY WALDSWORTH
LONGFELLOW, BEVERLY NICHOLS

DIVERTION BERTRAND RUSSEL,


ARSITOPHANES, WILLIAM JAMES

PROPOSED BOTTOM LINE: in order to achieve a more peaceful


world, men must be changed

HOWEVER, there are OPTIMISTS AND PESSIMISTS…

 Optimists see a possibility of turning the wicked into good


 Pessimists see little to no possibility of man righting himself

“If men are inherently evil, why do acts of charity, love, and self-
sacrifice exist? If men can be good, why are there instances of
rape, murder and thefts?”

REAL BOTTOMLINE: HUMAN NATURE BY ITSELF CAN NOT EXPLAIN


BOTH WAR AND PEACE, EXCEPT BY THE STATEMENT THAT MAN’S
NATURE IS SUCH THAT SOMETIMES HE FIGHTS AND SOMETIMES
HE DOES NOT
4

People Implications Time/Line of


(EXAMPLES) (EXAMPLES) Thought
HELVETIUS, TO LIVE TOGETHER PHILOSOPHERS OF THE
DIDEROT HAPPILY, ENLIGHTENMENT
MORALITY MUST
BE DIFFUSED
AMONG PEOPLE
THROUGH
EDUCATION
NORMAL WAR IS 19TH CENTURY
ANGELL, W. FRED UNECONOMIC LIBERALS
COTTRELL AND
UNREWARDING

COTTRELL IN SINCE WAR IS MARXIST/RATIONALIST


RELATION TO UNECONOMIC
MARX AND
UNREWARDING,
ELITES NOW MAKE
THEIR DECISIONS
BASED ON
CALCULATIONS
ABOUT THE
OUTCOME OF
WAR
ALEXANDER MEN WILL BEHAVE PACIFIST
LEIGHTON AS GOD INTENDED
THEY SHOULD BE

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